Keynote Address by

Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson

On the occasion of the Arbor City Awards and Prize-giving

Ceremony

Drakenstein Municipality

PAARL

07 September 2010

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Programme Director

MEC for Agriculture in the Western Cape: Mr Gerrit van Rensburg

The Mayor of the Cape Winelands District: Cllr B Chabaan

The Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality: Cllr C Charmaine

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee: Mr Lulu Johnson

Honourable Members of Parliament

Chairperson of the National Forestry Advisory Council: Mr Tshepo

Malatji

President of the Institute of Environment and Recreation

Management: Mr Gert Bam

Chairperson of Total SA: Ms Zodwa Manase

Councillors

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and gentlemen

All protocol observed

Good morning, goeiemôre, sanibonani, molweni!

It was not so long ago when the ruling party declared at the

Polokwane Conference that the vision of government will seek to

embrace a transformative environment based upon the idea of

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sustainable development built upon the inter-connection of

environment, social and economic justice.

Today, we are gathered here on this special day to build on the 2002

government initiative bestowing Arbor City Awards so that we may

continue with the greening of our nation and continue with the

important objective of encouraging municipalities to undertake

greening initiatives. In so doing, the department and other role-

players are trying to promote environmental conservation and

development, thereby securing a healthy living environment for all.

Boomplantweek word vanjaar gevier onder die tema, Plant vir die

planeet – vergroen! Daarom doen die regering ’n beroep om

omgewingsbewaring en -ontwikkeling te versterk:

Deur voortgesette aanplanting van bome en voortgesette

bydraes tot die vergroening van ons land (Bome is die longe

van die aarde.)

Deur die versterking van ons maatreëls vir die voorkoming en

beheer van veld- en bosbrande

Deur woestynvorming te beperk deur die aanplant van bome

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Deur voortdurend vrugtebome aan te plant en by te dra tot

verhoogde voedselproduksie, en deur meer voedselsekere

gemeenskappe te skep

Deur te onthou dat bome, deur middel van kommersiële

plantasies, bydra tot ekonomiese geleentheid en werkskepping,

veral in die landelike gebiede

During a previous era in our history, the provision of services was not

done in an equitable manner, and this left the residential areas of

historically black communities with few green areas. The same

neglect applied to the provision of greening services. This local

government-based greening initiative started in Gauteng and has

covered eight provinces and now, with the benefit of wisdom from

experience, we are in the Western Cape.

Programme Director, government has declared that in working

together with other progressive forces, we have ensured that

environmental rights are firmly entrenched in our constitution so

that individuals as well as communities can defend their right to

a safe and healthy environment. Environmental justice is firmly

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entrenched as an integral part of the national democratic

revolution.

Programdirekteur, ek wil graag hê dat ons die Bomestad-toekennings

moet beskou as ’n motivering wat die pogings van plaaslike regerings

erken, veral ten opsigte van die vergroening van histories benadeelde

gemeenskappe. Deur pogings soos hierdie sal ons saam die

volgende vergroeningsdoelwitte behaal:

Munisipaliteite sal voortgaan om vergroeningsprojekte van

stapel te stuur.

Elke munisipaliteit se Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsplan sal ’n

vergroeningsplan insluit.

Vergroeningsprogramme en -projekte op plaaslike vlak sal

voortgaan om die klem te plaas op histories benadeelde

gebiede, insluitende informele gemeenskappe.

Daar sal groter en sterker nakoming van toepaslike

omgewingswette wees.

Algemene bewustheid sal geskep word ten opsigte van die

belangrikheid en waarde van die vergroening van woonbuurte.

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This year, thanks to the lessons learnt through the years, the

standard of the competition was high. Altesaam agt munisipaliteite

het deelgeneem aan ’n taai stryd, en daar was net een wenner uit die

agt inskrywings. Die inskrywings was Kaapstad, Hessequa,

Witzenberg, Kaap Agulhas, Theewaterskloof, Stellenbosch,

Swartland en Drakenstein.

Ek kondig graag die wenmunisipaliteit in die Bomestad-toekennings

vir 2010 aan. Drakenstein Munisipaliteit word vereer vir hul

verbintenis tot die vernuwing van die omgewing en die uitwissing van

armoede. Hulle het die uitdagings van rommelverwydering die hoof

gebied, die lewensgehalte van hul burgers verbeter en

ontspanningsfasiliteite geskep.

Die munisipaliteit het ’n uitgebreide vergroeningsprogram van stapel

gestuur. Dit sluit planne en strategieë in vir toekomstige aanplantings

in histories benadeelde gebiede. Die munisipaliteit se beplanning sluit

voortgesette verwydering van indringerplante in – hierdie projek het

176 werksgeleenthede geskep – asook die bewaring van inheemse

bome en toenemende steun vir die beskerming van die formele

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bewaringsgebiede van die Paarl Bergnatuurreservaat en die

Arboretum.

As a result, 10 local schools have benefited from the Environmental

Education programmes that are conducted in partnership with the

Wildlife Society of Southern Africa, the Department of Education and

the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The municipality is

also planning to expand on current projects with the aim of planting

1 000 trees per annum, targeted at new and current low-cost

development areas.

Programdirekteur, ons verbintenis tot Boomplantdag kom deur die

“Miljoen Bome”-veldtog, wat gedurende 2007 van stapel gestuur is.

Die bydrae van hierdie provinsie en provinsiale belanghebbers met

die oog op ons doelwit vir 2009 was aansienlik. Altesaam 70 000

bome is geplant. Die samewerking tussen ons en nie-

regeringsorganisasies, gemeenskapsgebaseerde organisasies, die

sakesektor, gemeenskappe en Suid-Afrika se bydrae tot die

Verenigde Nasies se “Plant vir die Planeet”-program, word erken.

Programme Director, the Arbor City Awards programme would not be

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a success had it not been for the partnership with the Institute for

Environment and Recreation Management, TOTAL South Africa, the

national sponsor for Arbor Week, as well as Malan en Seuns and

Professional Irrigation Agencies. The continued support of the

sponsors over the years is highly appreciated and we hope that they

will continue to do more in the future. Indeed, working together, we

can do more.

I thank you.

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